


Aint nothing but a Baloth.

by Verdic



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: DNDecember
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 16:51:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12988320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verdic/pseuds/Verdic
Summary: The Dryads finally tell the party what they are facing, and face it they do.





	Aint nothing but a Baloth.

Seraphina transformed into her wolf form and ran forwards with her pack brother. Akmun and Moonflower were next, with Larkin between them. Bringing up the rear was Rumil and the Dryads. None of them seemed eager to separate from the others. Willow had told Rumil about Maple and the fate that befell her. 

“And what happened to these people?” He growled back.

“We did what your elf fears we will do to you. We took our fury out on them and killed them. Maple...She didn’t make it. We tried to bring her back, but she was too far gone.” Willow’s voice choked in her throat. Rumil didn’t press her and continued forwards. 

“What more can you tell us?” Rumil asked.

“The mage has summoned mostly Lemures and Imps to do their bidding. Those we could easily deal with, but there are is one that we cannot. Apparently, the lords of whichever plane this is from hates us.” Willow hesitated. “I completely understand if you turn away. This isn’t your fight. When he summoned the minor fiends, a major one came with them. It’s large, almost twenty feet tall. It is coal black, but its eyes and mouth are fiery red. It’s constantly wreathed in smoke and flames.” The party had stopped and was looking at Willow as she described it. “It carries a burning sword in one hand and a terrible whip in the other. It killed a dozen of our sisters when it first arrived.” Birch placed a hand on WIllow’s shoulder, providing comfort to her sister.

The party all looked at each other. They had all heard tales of Baloths. They were terrifying creatures, the generals of the Nine Hells and one step below the lords of those levels. They had never faced something this powerful. Rumil looked at all of the faces around. Seraphina and her brother looked angry, as much as Rumil could read wolf faces. They were not angry at the Dryads for getting them in this mess, but at the evil in the forest. Akmun had battle lust growing in his eyes. The large half-orc never backed down from a challenge, and this was the largest one yet. He would not give up the chance to fight a Baloth and either die or boast of his prowess. 

Larkin and Moonflower exchanged glances. With they were both confident in their prowess, they also were trying to be rational about this choice. Moonflower was more adept at fighting groups of enemies, not individually powerful enemies. Larkin knew she was pretty fragile. While her spells were fairly powerful, she had never been the most sturdy of adventurers. They both looked at Rumil. He knew that there was determination on his eyes. He had sworn to protect all people from this type of threat. 

“If you do not wish to come…” Rumil started.

“And let your ghost hold this over us? I think not.” Moonflower said.

“And besides, what kind of spouse would I be if I let you adventure alone and die?” Larkin smiled. Rumil smiled back. “But remember, this is a creature of pure evil. No trying to talk it into being good.”

“I know.” Rumil loosened his sword in his sheath. “I think it may be time to use this sword.”

The Dryads led them forwards for another hour till the came to an area of the forest where the trees were twisted and deformed, those that were still standing. Most had been cut down. At this point, everyone pulled their weapons out. Seraphina returned to her humanoid form and pulled out her bladed staff. Akmun’s sword sang with the low rumble of thunder far off. Moonflower’s whipcord dagger flickered with ethereal light. Larkin was flipping her sling around, her frog enjoying the ride as lightning sparking off his little eyes. 

Rumil unsheathed his blade and radiant flames burned along the blade. Unlike the weapons of his party members, this sword looked more like a ceremonial saber rather than an actual longsword. WIth a mental command, Maximus came into being, horn and hooves glowing with the same radiant fire. “We are ready. Willow, you and your sisters make sure that we are not disturbed. If we are to vanquish this creature, we must not have to deal with anything else.”

They travelled for only a few more minutes before the cave appeared in the cliffside. In front of it were dozens of Lemures, toiling away with axes and saws, picks and hammers. They were erecting walls, towers, and buildings. 

“We have this. We shall call upon the forest to aid us. When the Baloth appears, you must engage it right away or we will die.” Willow looked into Rumil’s eyes, daring him to back down. He just smiled back grimly. The Dryads called upon the creatures of the forest, natural and fey, to come and attack the evil creatures. The party hung back as they watched, knowing their opponant would be revealed soon.

The ground and air both shook as a bellow of rage exited the cave and smoke started billowing forth. Everyone let out their breath in preparation for the fight as they saw the Baloth walk out of the cave. It was larger in person. It towered over all of them, pure malice steaming off its body. It’s hatred bubbled forth when it saw the ruckus and breathed a stream of rippling heat, scorching friend and foe alike. 

Before it could take another step, a bolt of lightning crashed into it from the sky. It looked up, more annoyed than injured. The sky was a clear blue, with only one dark cloud. Looking around, it noticed Seraphina and the magic surrounding her as she controlled the lightning. It smiled and sprang into the air, wings of smoke and flame speeding it towards its next target. Another bolt of lightning fell from the sky, bouncing off of its side. It let out a huge laugh. 

The laugh was cut short by another bolt of lightning. This one was much larger and more powerful than the previous two. It came from behind the druid who had summoned the pathetic rain cloud. An even tinier opponant stepped forwards, more powerful spells wreathing her as she swung a small leather cord around her head. The lightning bolt had been powerful enough to knock the Baloth onto the ground and stop its charge.

As the large fiend got to its feet, it felt a large impact hit its chest, accompanied by a loud explosion. The Baloth looked down to see a half-orc attached to a Falchion buried in its chest. It reached down to grab Akmun when its arm are immobilized by a length of magical leather. It felt a bee sting as the dagger on the end of it buried itself into the fiend’s flesh. 

“You think your whip is impressive, elfling?” The Baloth roared and with its free arm sent its whip flying forwards at the same time it pulled its arm back. Caught off guard, Moonflower hung onto the whip and let himself be flung forwards. The fiend’s whip cracked in the area he had occupied not a moment before. With its arm free, the Baloth brought its axe crashing into Akmun. The half-orc lost his grip on his sword and was tossed through the air, landing at Seraphina’s feet. 

Another bolt of lightning hit it from above and it laughed maliciously. It strode to the prone form of Akmun when a jolt of electricity stopped it. Looking at its chest, the Baloth noticed a small frog. Before the confusion could disappear, the frog flew through the air, as if pulled on a string. Shaking off the confusion and returning to the fight, the Baloth raised its axe to kill Akmun. 

It stumbled as radiant fire started eating away at it. Maximus had charged in, his horn buried deep into the fiend’s side. Another flare of searing pain bit into the other side as Rumil plunged the ceremonial sword into its side. Pulling the blade out, Rumil gathered his energy. With an almighty shout, radiant fire blazing brighter than the sun, he plunged the sword into the Baloth’s chest just as it brought its axe down upon him. The fiend’s body fractured and disappeared as it was banished from the material plane before the axe hit him. 

WIth a flourish of his blade, the radiant fire disappeared and he sheathed the weapon. He rushed over to Akmun, who was staggering to his feet. Pressing his hands to Akmun’s chest, he healed the cracked ribs. “It’s time for us to move on, before this thing summons another one.”


End file.
